Have you always wondered what makes a good speaker sound good? Curious how JVC’s brand new RS4200 / NZ900 flagship projector performs compared to its predecessor, the RS4100 / NZ9? Wondering whether in-wall speakers can sound as good as their floor-standing or bookshelf counterparts? Then come to the TSRAV Spring Projector and Speaker Shootout! Hang out with fellow AV enthusiasts for a fun day of learning and "geeking out", and get these questions answered - and more!

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What's Happening?

• HEAR! Some of the BEST REVIEWED speakers of all time!

• SEE! JVC’s brand new flagship projector, the DLA-NZ900 / RS4200 side by side with the previous generation NZ9 / RS4100!

• COMPARE! Speakers from top manufacturers under scientifically-controlled conditions!

• MARVEL! As expert calibrator Kris Deering of Deep Dive AV compares the JVC DLA-NZ900 side by side with the previous generation NZ9 / RS4100 under controlled, level playing field conditions!

• LEARN! About the amazing research that correlates speaker measurements with listener preference!

• CHAT! With special guests Kris Deering of Deep Dive AV, Mark Seaton of Seaton Sound, and Shawn Byrne of Quest Acoustical Interiors.

• EXPERIENCE! Our reference in-home showroom theater featuring a complete Revel PerformaBe 9.4.6 Dolby Atmos surround system, JVC and Stewart projection, and Seaton custom installation subwoofers.

• SCORE! A deal from the incredible pile of inventory we're making available at steep discounts: speakers, receivers, amplifiers, and more!

• WIN! One of the amazing door prizes we have planned. We have something really special for both days. We're not talking about tee-shirts or pens!

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Which Loudspeakers?

Based upon event and consumer feedback – and our own desire to make sure attendees have the necessary time to properly listen to and evaluate the speakers – we have decided to feature a set of in-wall / architectural speakers at this shootout. Since we did a very elaborate test of box speakers last year (and verified that the science of correlating speaker measurements to listener performance holds up), we decided we would focus on something new this year. Comparing in-wall speakers under controlled conditions has never been done before, so we thought it was high time TSR tackled the challenge! Here are the speakers we will be testing:

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Architectural In-Wall Speakers

Revel W228Be (MSRP $3,500/ea)

JBL Synthesis SCL-6 (MSRP $1,650/ea)

Triad Gold Series In-Wall LCR (MSRP $3,063/ea)

MYSTERY FOURTH SPEAKER (to keep things interesting!)

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WHICH PROJECTORS?

​Just a few weeks back JVC announced two new flagship projectors to replace the current DLA-RS4100 / NZ9 and the DLA-RS3100 / NZ8. Both offer brand new 3rd Generation 4096x2160 DILA panels with improved contrast and greater QC, improved video processing, and a few other cool upgraded features.

 

​Last week JVC offered to send us a sample DLA-NZ900 / RS4200 for our event, so we jumped at the chance – especially since Kris Deering was going to be in town to set up everything properly for a fair comparison to the previous projector shootout-winning DLA-RS4100 hanging in TSR’s reference showroom. We will be comparing both projectors side by side and sequentially so our audience can see exactly what has been improved over the previous flagship using TSR’s famous, level-playing field approach.

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An Education and a Fair Fight

This isn't a marketing and sales event; it's going to be educational first and foremost. We'll all leave the event having learned some things. While there will be a "shootout" element to the event, and we will be evaluating, comparing and discussing speaker and projector performance, the goal isn't to "pick a 'hands-down' winner." The goal is to take our time, put these speakers and projectors through their paces, and learn some things about them.

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If you were at the speaker shootout last spring, you know it was uncomfortably packed on Saturday. We learned from that experience, so we're hosting the event in the owner's home this time. It'll be more intimate, more relaxed, and more comfortable. We'll be able to take our time getting set up to avoid mistakes, but this also means seating will be much more limited this time! We're also going to run a subwoofer system, so all speakers will be crossed over to the subs, taking bass extension out of the equation and minimizing room modes.

 

NOTE THAT SATURDAY’S EVENT IS FULL. We suggest reserving a space on Sunday instead. Note that Sunday is filling up quickly as well, so please get your RSVPs to us ASAP.

 

All the speakers will be set up behind an acoustically-transparent cloth to conceal which speaker the audience is listening to. We'll put the speakers through their paces using a variety of high-resolution digital content played from the Roon player built into the JBL Synthesis SDP-75 preamp/processor. The speakers will all be driven by JBL Synthesis amplifiers and each speaker precisely level-matched for critical listening and evaluation of each speaker.

All speakers will be identically crossed over to a subwoofer system consisting of Seaton Sound dual-12-inch custom installing subwoofers and calibrated by Mark Seaton himself. In fact, Mark will calibrate the entire system so we'll have an expert third-party keeping the testing honest!

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For the projector shootout, Kris Deering will set up both projectors with similar throw distances and feed both projectors the identical source signal. The projectors will then be compared sequentially on a Stewart StudioTek130 Scope screen masked down to 116” diagonal 16:9. Kris will calibrate both projectors so that it’s a true “level-playing field” comparison.

More details on the test apparatus will be disclosed at the event and in the write-up that will follow.

 

We're hosting the event over two days - Saturday and Sunday, May 18th and 19th, from 1-6 pm each day - to give everyone a shot at attending. If you'd like to attend, complete this form as soon as possible and we will reserve your spot! NOTE - SATURDAY'S EVENT IS NOW FULL!

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Event Details

Location

Colorado Springs, CO 80921

* Exact address will be provided in an email prior to the event.

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Dates and Times

Saturday and Sunday, May 18th and 19th, 1-6 pm each day

Please complete this form as soon as possible to RSVP. Space will be limited, so you MUST let us know if you'd like to attend.

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NOTE THAT SATURDAY’S EVENT IS FULL - suggest attending on Sunday instead. Note that Sunday is filling up too, so please get your RSVPs to us ASAP.

 

We hope to see you there! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!

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HAVE YOUR DISPLAY CALIBRATED BY KRIS DEERING, THX CERTIFIED VIDEO CALIBRATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE!

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As mentioned above, ISF Certified calibrator Kris Deering of Deep Dive AV will be in town to calibrate the projectors for the shootout.

 

Kris has delivered breathtaking images and audio performance to a wide range of clients at their homes and businesses. From family rooms to showcase demonstration rooms, he aims to deliver the best performance your system is capable of using the best tools on the market today. Kris is scheduled to be in town the week before the event, but he could possible extend his trip if there is enough demand. If you'd like to book his services, Kris can be contacted directly through this link. Kris is only out this way once in a great while, so make sure you take advantage of his services while you can!
 

Event Sponsors and Partners

It takes a lot of work to put an event like this together. We'd like to thank all of our partners, sponsors, and participants, without whom it wouldn't be possible.

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JBL Synthesis by Harman

JVC

Kaleidescape

Kris Deering of Deep Dive AV

Mark Seaton of Seaton Sound

Stewart Filmscreen

Tributaries

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